Place

A sense of "place" is very important to me. Places can be magical, as anybody who's ever roamed the Baylor campus knows. Many cities have that special sense of place that makes them tourist destinations- San Francisco, or New York, or Savannah, George, for example. Dallas- not so much. Until now, I hope.

Dallas has jumped right up there on the hot architecture list with the opening last week of the Dallas Performing Arts Center. The highlight of the new space are two buildings.

The Wyly Theater

The Winspear Opera House

Inside view of The Winspear:

And, literally, on top of it all, the city is building a 5-acre park on top of the Woodall Rogers highway running through downtown. Can you believe that?!

It's like our own little Central Park, on top of a highway! Sic em, Dallas!

It will have a dog park,

recreation fields,

a restaurant,

botanical gardens,

chess games,

and more!

The Park website says "The Park will serve as a central gathering space for Dallas and its visitors to enjoy in the heart of the city. The 5.2 acre deck park will create an urban green space over the existing Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Pearl and St. Paul streets in downtown Dallas. Plans include a performance pavillion, restaurant, jogging trails, a dog park, a children's playground, a water sculpture, an area for games and much more.

Connectivity is central to The Park's pupose. The Park will promote increased pedestrian, trolley and bicycle use between Uptown, Downtown, and the Arts District, contributing to a more walkable city center.

The Park will create a front lawn for the surroundign cultural offerings including the Dallas Center for Performing Arts, Dallas Museum of Art, the Meyerson Symphony Hall, the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Collection of Asian Art, Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts and the future Museum of Nature and Science. Construction will begin in October 2009. The base park is expected to be complete in late 2011 with amenities expected to be complete in 2012.

You can learn more about the very famous design team, park features (can't wait for the reading room, The Groves, or the Icon Fountain!), timeline and more at http://www.theparkdallas.org/.

In addition to my beloved hometown, there's a second place far away that's capturing my heart today.

Kenya.

My dear Satpack is there right now, loving people right and left.

Guess which one is little Satty:)

How often would I go to church if my church had no chairs? or air conditioning?

See the blend of old and new. See the difference a well makes.

Well done, little Sarah, and her companion Wade!